"Aargh on the Throne" by Andrey Belyanin, summary

This humorous fantasy novel was written in 2009. This book is the finale of a trilogy about a sensible and well-read aargh named Kid, who works as a bodyguard for a young count. The author combines adventure buffoonery with everyday philosophy, pitting the well-read giant against the intrigues of the capital’s court. This work concludes the "Aargh" cycle, which includes the novels "Aargh" (2007) and "Aargh at the Opera House" (2009).

Ambush on the highway and the Lord Chancellor’s order

The story begins in the inn of the retired mercenary Truvor in the Borderlands. The literate aargh, Malysh, and his master, Count Ashley Elgenhauer Jr., are throwing a farewell feast before the nobleman’s departure for the Imperial capital. Gathered at the establishment are their companions: the elf Elander, the underground dwarves Turom and Neturom, and the mercenary Sun. The festivities are interrupted by the appearance of a wild mammoth, which has drunk all the beer.

A wounded Sun comes running after her. The girl brings a bloody fragment of the imperial standard from the forest. The military escort sent for Ashley is destroyed on the highway. The squad sets out to search for clues. At the site of the battle, the heroes find poisoned needles from the doll witches and kill a hired assassin from the Black Bat clan.

Suddenly, Sun is gravely wounded in the back by a crossbow bolt. The child carries her to the inn, where Truvor begins treating her. Meanwhile, a Secret Police rider delivers Ashley the Lord Chancellor’s decree. The Earl is appointed permanent governor of the Borderlands, blocking access to the capital. Insulted, Ashley decides to march on the capital.

Forest Clashes and an Alliance with the Supreme Witch

The heroes retreat into the forest, leading a detachment of Secret Police under the command of Red Sleeve. At night, Little One sneaks into the pursuers’ camp. He distracts the commander with a couple’s dance while the dwarves lead the horses away. In the thicket, the companions meet the exiled Supreme Witch of the Wandering Castle. The newly deposed clan leader reveals a plot by the sorcerer Carlanius and hires a detachment to retake the citadel.

Along the way, the mercenaries encounter a treacherous forest fairy. The evil creature lures Ashley and the dwarves with a conversational charm. Elander, deaf from a previous injury, can’t hear the magical phrases, teaches the girl a lesson, and lifts the spell. The Neraids then drag the dwarves into the river.

The boy captures the river maidens on the shore and forces them to show him the way. The heroes rescue Turom and Neturom from Carlanius’s servants on a trash-strewn island. When the knights set the island on fire, Elander crosses to the other shore using a rope made of woven clothing. The companions successfully escape the flames.

Secrets of the Wandering Castle

The party reaches the Wandering Castle. The companions witness Carlanius leaving in a carriage drawn by six enchanted old witches. Only the young novices, under a love spell, remain inside the citadel. Ashley and Elander distract the girls with poetry and dancing, while the Kid and the dwarves explore the sorcerer’s study.

In the study, Aargh finds a letter from Karlanius. The sorcerer reveals his plan: he is holding the little seer Eivyn, believing her to be his daughter. Suddenly, the castle shifts and finds itself on the border of the sacred Raven Heath. Elven archers surround the citadel.

The child negotiates with Elder Irondale. Eivin confirms the giant’s honesty. Ashley declares the castle temporarily the property of the Empire. However, the elder witches of Carlanius raid and kidnap Eivin. The child receives a magical blow to the back of the head and loses consciousness.

The Road to the Capital and Betrayal

The Supreme Witch heals the Kid. She makes a deal with the elves and moves the castle to the walls of the Empire’s capital. The companions disguise themselves in peasant clothes and infiltrate the city. Along the way, the Kid loses his master, disperses street bullies, and fights the Marquis’s guards.

The friends meet at the Three-Legged Pony. Soldiers soon arrive. Ashley is arrested on charges of treason. The heroes free the Count from prison with the help of mercenaries from the frontier who have arrived in town. The companions then head to the mansion of General Dodo Elgenhauer Sr.

It turns out that the general himself betrayed his nephew, wanting to test his courage and protect him from the conspiracy. The Secret Police surround the mansion. Sun, riding on that very mammoth, comes to the mercenaries’ rescue. With the spell lifted, the beast transforms back into the renegade elf Ungorn.

Duel in the throne room

The squad storms the royal palace. In the throne room, the sorcerer Carlanius holds the young Emperor Orton and little Eivin captive. The villain mixes the children’s blood and forges the Sword of Omnipotence, seeking to subjugate the kingdom.

Elander’s attempt to intercept the weapon fails due to protective lightning. Carlanius attacks the Kid and Ashley, demonstrating the sword’s ability to destroy anything. The well-read giant dodges a direct blow. The Sword of Omnipotence gets stuck in a stone wall at full speed.

Losing his balance, Carlanius falls through a broken wall and dies on the sharp iron spikes of the palace fence. The magical spell wears off.

Denouement

The freed young Emperor Orton thanks his rescuers and reveals his true identity to the Child. The young prophetess, Eivin, decides to remain in the palace with the ruler. Ashley learns the secret of his origins: he is the illegitimate son of the deceased king of neighboring Lavidia.

After the death of the Lavidian monarch, Ashley gains legal claim to the throne of the neighboring state. Leaving behind palace intrigues, Ashley accepts the appointment of Viceroy of the Borderlands. Little Boy and Sun plan to marry. The entire party heads back to their homelands.